Xenoblade:Twist of the Tale
by skorpina18
Summary: With a twist of fate, smelling like female perfume, the story we know and love is re-written. Come along to see just what the future holds for our Party. Includes OCs! Warning for spoilers through-out the story and crack pairings! Of course, I do NOT own Xenoblade Chronicles, only my 2 OCs! [I know the first chapter is a rip-off, but not all are like that!]
1. Chapter 1

There could only be one word, fit to describe what was going on, at the moment and that word, was chaos. There was absolute chaos on the battlefield. The constant sound of the guns firing, accompanied by the cries of the people who were fighting to keep their lives, seemed endless.

"Retreat! Retreat!"Was the order given to all the soldiers, by the frightened captain, at the sight of the enemy advancing forward, killing many in their path. As everyone was running away, a pair of legs could be seen, going straight into the enemy. Shoulder-length, dark brown locks danced, as the tan skinned man ran, a crimson sword in hand. A blue light emerging from the sword, as the man begun attacking the advancing enemies, slicing them in half.

"They're advancing down our weak right flank." Came the deep voice of the man, who was talking to on one in particular, an amused look on his face

"For a bunch of soulless machines, they seem to know a thing or two." He said again, as he drove his blade into one of the half dead machines, "But we'll see." He added, taking hold of his sword in both hands. Not much later, some soldiers ran, following the swordsman, two men as their leaders.

"Dunban!"The blond man called out, seeing his friend and comrade sitting behind one of the fallen big machines, catching his breath, while the guns kept firing at him. Leaving the soldiers to the side, the blond man, with the other one in lead ran up to Dunban and sat beside him.

"We've been given the order to retreat." The blond man said, as he narrowed his eyes, "We're pulling back the line-"He added, only to be stopped as some of the explosive hit the ground next to where they were "-That's where we'll set the last line of defense." He finished.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Dunban said, even if the smile on his face said otherwise."Any more time spent hanging around here and we're done for." He pointed out.

"Count me in! We've gotta get outta here." The third man, a brown haired guy with clawed gloves said

"Or, we can stay and fight?"Dunban suggested, turning to face the clawed man, the smile never leaving his lips

"What?"The man asked shocked, as another small explosion happened close by, causing him to cover his face with his arms

"We may die if we take stand here." Dunban stated calmly "But staying gives us the chance to change our destinies." He added, taking the crimson blade in his hands

"We have the Monado," He said, looking at his sword, "With this, the future is ours for the taking." He added and jumped up, ready to get back to the battle, only to be stopped by the blond man, who yanked him back.

"Stupid beat!"He yelled, "Your body can't take any more of the Monado, I can tell by just looking at you, if you go on, not even Novey will be able to fix you up!" He said to Dunban.

"Getting short sighted in your old age, Dickson?" Dunban asked the blond man, the smile always on his face, "I'm fine, don't worry, I'm still in control." He reassured the man. Dickson shock his head and sat back down with Dunban.

"I should've known I couldn't talk sense into a beast. Novey and Fiora will have our heads if we make it back, but let's do this, I'm going with you." Dickson said, looking at the gun in his own hands

"As long as you think you've still got the strength in you, old man."Dunban said, still smiling

"Oi, you two! We've been ordered to pull back! I'm leaving!"The third man stated, a frightened look on his face.

"Well I say, you're coming with is, Mumkhar."Dunban told him, with a smirk, "What would we do without those?"He asked, eyes landing on the claws

"The enemy's second wake is approaching!"Announced the scared soldier, looking over the machine he was hiding behind.

"It's now or never, Dunban." Dickson stated, getting up and looking up to the approaching enemies, "Let's show 'em what we've got." He added, with a smirk of his own, "We'll give them a warm Homs welcome." He said sarcastically ,as Dunban got up as well.

"Acknowledged." Said swordsman agreed with a nod.

With those words, both jumped over the robot and to the battle, leaving Mumkhar behind

"What're they trying to prove?" He asked himself, "I'm not throwing my life away! No point dying in some godforsaken field, nothing for it!" He said and looked over his shoulder, to see the other two men fighting. "I'll have to use Dunban as a decoy. That should give me time to escape." He said to himself and laughed, before joining the other two.

The battle was hard and seeing only the Monado could hurt Mechon, using Enchant seemed to be the most important thing to do, giving the other two the ability to damage them for a certain amount of time.

"Huh? You've got to be kidding." Mumkhar said, seeing that as the last wave of Mechon was down, many more showed up

"It's their main force," Dickson pointed out, "Looks like the Mechon are hell-bent on taking us out."He added.

"They'll have to be if they want to beat us." Dunban said, testing the grip of his right hand. "Now, let's even the odds a bit." He added and placed the Monado back in his hands.

"You heard 'im."Dickson said to Mumkhar, as he took his gun, that had been resting on his shoulder, ignoring the scared look on the other man's face.

"Dickson, Mumkhar. Let's do this!" Dunban yelled confidently, activating the Monado once again, before they all charged at the Mechon.

As the battle went on, Dunban was getting tiered out, having used the Monado so much. Dickson turned his head and saw a Mechon was trying to sneak up on Dunban, as he sat, trying to catch his breath.

"Dunban!"He called out and tackled the man, the blade on the machine hitting his back. A small cry left his lips, before he dove his gun into the Mechon, shooting it, and killing it

"I ain't going down that easily." He said to the now dead Mechon, before rushing over to Dunban. "Dunban!Are you alright?!" He asked his friend

"What does it look like?" Dunban asked, out of breath, "I'm still good to go."He lied, the pain clear in his voice.

From afar, Mumkhar watched this and laughed to himself. "Guess even a hero's gotta reach his limit eventually." He said to himself, taking a few steps backwards, before he turned around and begun running.

"Mumkhar, what are you doing?" Dunban asked, with his arm over Dickson's shoulder, "That way is-"

"Sorry brothers!"Mumkhar interrupted, "Hate to drop this on you, but it's the Monado they're after. So have fun keeping 'em occupied for me!" He added, "I'm getting the hell outta here."

"Mumkhar, you dirty..."Dickson trailed off.

"Don't worry I'll tell the girls you died protecting them and I help 'em organize your funerals!" He said with a laugh, "Well, see ya boys." He waved at them with a smirk.

"Wait!"Dickson yelled after him, but he was already gone.

A shot fired at them from the Mechon and they barely made it in time, crashing to the ground. Slowly they sat up and saw a Mechon closing in.

"If this is a joke, it ain't funny," Dickson said, "Looks like this is it. At least we know our luck can't get any worse from here." He added and missed the man next to him smirk.

"Dunban?"He called out to his friend, seeing him getting up

"Dickson, take care of the survivors," Dunban said as he activated the Monado once again.

"Dunban, what are you playing at?" Dickson asked the man in surprise. Wondering how he could even stand ignorant to the plans Mumkhar had about coming back to get the Monado once they were both dead, or the fact that the last thing he would see would be the lasers pointing at him from the shadows.

"Vile Mechon. If you think the Homs, the people of Bionis, are just waiting here for you to pick us off...you are sorely mistaken!" Dunban said, mostly to himself, then turned his eyes to Dickson.

"Say sorry to Novey for me and look after Fiora, she'll need someone to rant about Rosaline to." Dunban said with a sad smile on his lips, then charged at the Mechon, the only other thing escaping his lips being his battle cry.


	2. Chapter 2: A new red-head

**A/N: Hello there! I know that last chapter wasn't all that... different, from the original story, like RealFemGamer pointed out, but from now on, we're having some changes!**

 **I also wanted to point out that from here on out and up until chapter 5 or 6, a dear friend of mine, PerfectFlyer, halped out in certain parts of the dialoge. I'm sure you can tell them apart, as they differ so much from mine! Anyway, I have nothing more ot add, so ENJOY!**

A redhead girl dug through the wreckage of a Mechon. She shifted through the metal and looked up when her companion gave a triumphant cry.

"Oi! Find something, Shulk?" Honey eyes fell onto the younger blonde. The teenager sighed and tossed the scrap metal aside.

"No good, it's broken." Shulk let out a sigh and fell back onto the grass. He looked over at his companion. "What about you,Rose?"

"Nope! Everything is either broken or too corroded to use." She placed her hands on her hips and let out a low sigh. "Today is gonna to be a bust."

"Yeah…" Shulk trailed off and then his bright blue eyes alighted on a piece of the wreckage. "An M61!" He scrambled to his feet and hurried over to the machine. He tugged at the wreckage trying to get it loose. The machine moved and Shulk fell backwards in surprise. A krabble turned on Shulk, angry with the boy for trying to remove its shell. Rosa reached for her double bladed sword,ready to attack. Just before she could, a Defense Force Soldier knocked aside the krabble with his gunlance.

"Reyn!" Shulk got to his feet and drew his sword.

"You alright, Shulk?" Reyn's brown eyes looked over his best friend.

"I'm fine thanks to you."

The krabble recovered from the attack and waddled towards them. Something flew through the air, slicing its back, before returning back where it came from, like a boomerang. The monster let out a cry. Shulk turned and swung his blade, knocking the krabble off balance. Reyn thrust his gunlance forward and toppled the beast. The two hacked away at the vulnerable underbelly of the monster until it died.

"Che, what a timing, Reyn." Rosa's voice held an air of sarcasm as she walked .

"Oi, are you saying I'm late?" Reyn huffed just as sarcastically, as he returned his weapon to his back.

"It _was_ a long way for you to come during your break, I'm sorry."Shulk apologized

"It's fine Shulk."The redhead boy reassured his best friend

"We got the krabble's shell, at least today ain't a total waste."Rosa freed the Mechon armor from the monster's corpse and tossed it to the other redhead

"I can make some weapons out of it for the soldiers." Shulk nodded. "Let's get back to the colony."

With that said,the group of three took off to Colony 9. Some enemies attacked them along the way, but it was thankfully no real trouble and soon, they had reached the entrance of the Colony.

"Here we are. I'd better stop in at the HQ," Reyn said, turning to face the other two "You off to the Weapon Development Lab?" He asked them.

"Yeah," Both said together

"But first, we are hitting the commercial district to sell the parts we can't use,"Rosa added.

"Alright," Reyn said with a nod. "See ya later." He added and took off, leaving the others alone.

"Shall we?"Shulk asked his partner

"Yes, let's go," Rosaline agreed with a nod and both headed to the shops, to sell the un-needed parts. A while later, they were thankfully done and begun heading to the Weapon Development Lab. Once through the Fortress Entrance, the two saw that Vangarre was once again yelling at his soldiers for something, but they were used to it by now.

"You idiots! What the hell are you playing at?!" The man yelled

 _'Uh-oh! The colonel's gonna explode.'_ Both Shulk and Rosa thought at the same time

"Crashing the mobile artillery into a house?! How long have you been in the force?!" Vangarre kept on yelling.

"They deserve it this time at least."Rosa commented, upon hearing these words.

"Sorry, sir. It's just that we were trying to go as fast as we could, like you ordered." One of the defence force's soldier said.

"But it's impossible to get back to the Military District in only 40 seconds"A second soldier added.

"I don't want any excuses! Champions don't whine, they win!"The colonel kept yelling.

"Yes sir…" The two soldiers said, looking down.

"You're a disgrace to the uniform! Are you forgetting the shame you brought on this force during joint manoeuvres with Colony 6?!" Vangarre asked them, "Stick your back to it, maggots! Move it!"

"Yes sir!"The soldiers said again.

"Get the artillery back to the Military District, double time!" The colonel ordered, "Then I want a million press-ups from both of you! And you better not stop until your biceps explode!"

"Colonel, we can't move the artillery…" The second soldier said.

"What? You better give a damn good reason why!" The higher ranked man said.

"Sir! The impact of the crash damaged the ether conduction cable! The ether fuel proceeded to leak out and now the cylinder is empty!" The soldier explained.

"Well, change the cylinder then! Can't you even do something as simple as that?!"Vangarre yelled.

"The auxiliary cylinders have all been used up." The other slodier explained "It'll be three days until more come in, Sir." He added.

"I told you to keep a stock of the fuel in reserve!"The colonel yelled yet again.

"Sorry, Sir..."The soldier apologized.

"You're nothing but slackers!" Vangarre told them and punched one of them in the face.

"Same old colonel. At this rate, the men will all be dead before they see any action" Shulk said.

"Do you want to go over there and tell him that?"Rosa questioned the boy, with a small smirk on her lips.

"No, thanks!" Shukl answered, shaking his head.

With these words, the pair headed to the Lab. Once inside the hall and down the stairs, they saw the Monado, resting in the middle like usual.

Shulk walked straight to it, while Rose turned to leave her stuff at the desk, getting surprised at seeing someone there.

"All right, guys. How are you?" Dickson asked, sitting on the desk, a smirk on his face.

"Dickson!" Shulk said, happily surprised to see the man there.

"You almost gave me a heart attack there, old-man…" Rosa whined, crossing her arms over her chest.

"When did you get back to Colony 9?" Shulk asked the man.

"Just now," Dickson answered, "I see you two have been busy." He added, holding some of the papers that had been left on the desk, "Looks like the Monado research has been going well. I made the right choice leaving you guys in charge." He commented as he walked up to Shulk.

"Your research notes really helped," Shulk said, rubbing the back of his head.

"And miss Novey's been a great help as well," Rosa added.

"Novey?" Dickson wondered.

"After what happened with Dunban, she's been trying to help out as much as possible, her ether powers are rather helpful," Shulk explained.

"So you can activate it now then?" Dickson asked, looking at the sword closely

"More or less." Rosa answered.

"Anyone can activate it, the problem is controlling it." Shulk explained.

"Yeah, for everyone except him." Dickson said.

"Yes, if anyone other than Dunban were to control the Monado, we could surpass any military force in the world." Shulk said, a sad look in his eyes.

"And make sure the Mechon stay the hell away from us."Rosa muttered.

"You think so?" Dickson asked them, "What are these hidden functions you mentioned?" Dickson asked, looking over the notes again.

"It's starting to look like the Monado might be something far more than just a weapon for defeading these Mechon."Shulk explained

"I see... and the evidence to support your theory?"Dickson asked, looking at the blond.

"It's the symbols that appear in the center when it's activated," Rosa answered for him.

"Wait, symbols?" Dickson asked, now looking at the girl.

"What we know is, the central piece is made of mutlilayered glass. The sumbols appear on the top layer and each layer is constructed differently," Shulk explained, then glanced over at Rosa, giving her the go to continue.

"While we were working on the Monado one day, while it was activated, miss Novey noticed the other layers, somehow, using her ether-healed eye. It seemed that she was able to see something." Rosa explained to Dickson.

"It seems that the glass has a tottal of eight layers and each has some kind of symbol on it, but we've been unable to see them, or understand what they mean." Shulk finished.

"So there are seven more symbols to the Monado?"Dickson asked.

"Yes and that means one thing..."Rosa trailed off.

"The Monado can conceal even more power," Dickson said for him "Am I right?" He asked and both nodded their heads.

"If we could just unlock the Monado's power..." Shulk trailed off, the sad look coming over his eyes again, as a mempory from last year came over to him

" _Dunban! Dunban!"A blond haired girl yelled lightly, as said man was being carried on a streacher by two soldiers._

" _Prioritise the most severy injured!" A powerful female voice yelled from afar._

" _Dunban!"Shulk said, his voice fillied with sadness, as he too looked at the man._

" _Dont look like that. I haven't gone yet,"Dunban said in a weak voice,"Shulk." He called the boy close and whispered something in his ear, making the blond boy gasp and stop his steps, before he turned back and looked at the Monado, sitting against a corner. The images slowly faded, but the words still rang in his head._

'It was the Monado. It was...controlling me...Even so... It saved us...saved our future... Next...it will be up to you...'

"Dunban..."Shulk whispered to himself, looking down.

"Well, I better get the supplies delivered to the Defence Force. I'll drop round the HQ and see how they're getting on." Dickson said, getting the attention of the two boys.

" 'Kay then."Rosa replied.

"We'll see you later," Shulk said with a nod and both got back to their notes. At that, Dickson let out a sigh and turned to the two.

"Shulk, Rosa. You're spending too much time in the lab. Either that or rummaging for junk in the scrap yard. It ain't healthy for you," He told them, "That's why you're always looking so pasty. You should get out, get some fresh air once in a while."

"You know we just got back to the lab, right? We've been out all morning"Rosa pointed out.

"You were working still, take a break and relax, it won't kill you" Dickson said to the brown eyed girl.

"Alright, I'm off" Dickson said and waved and left to lab, leaving the pair alone.

"Like I need to listen to him, having a brother is already enough"Rosa muttered and went back over to the desk. Shulk sighed and started.

"Rosa… We should probably-"

"Go ahead and go to Outlook Park blondie"Rosa waved over her shoulder. "You actually _have_ to listen to the old man. Besides," Rosa turned to face him. "Bionis knows you need it far more than me, you have too many things in your head."

"If you say so," Shulk laughed. "Alright, I'll see you later. He said and left.


	3. Chapter 3: Lunch time

**A/N: Okay, new chapter for you (two) people, reading this story. No reviews last chapter and it really, really made me sad, but, I'm gonna keep on going, mainly because I owe it to PerfectFlyer, for being exactly what her name says, Perfect. Love you dear!  
Other than that, please review!  
**

After the blond left, Rosa settled down into the chair and began to shift through the notes; just as she begun to put things in her head in order, a loud voice cut through her thoughts.

"Shulk, I brought you some lunch."

Rosa sighed loudly and turned to see Fiora standing in the doorway. She glanced around the lab and her eyes landed on the red head.

"Oh, it's only you." She stayed in the doorway. "Do you know where Shulk is?"

"As if I _have_ to tell you." Rosa snorted as she turned back around not wanting to face the other girl. "It's the only other place he goes when not at the lab."

"You mean Outlook Park?"

"I'm surprised you had to ask."

Fiora clenched her teeth together and stalked back down the hall. Rosa chuckled to herself.

Fiora easily found the boy she was looking for. The blond sat in his usual spot, muttering about the Monado to himself. She smiled and called as she went over to him.

"Shulk." He looked up at his name and smiled at the sight of her.

"Hello Fiora."

She held up the lunch box. Shulk motioned to the space beside him and Fiora gladly took it. She opened the lunch box and passed Shulk his meal. She watched expectantly as he began to eat.

"What do you think?"

"It's great." Shulk replied, with his mouth full.

"You always say that. I used some new spices today; I thought you'd say something else. I swear, it's like you have no sense of taste."

"Not quite. Today, it's amazing." Shulk corrected himself, once he saw her displeasure. "I mean it, Fiora."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She sighed slightly, a smile still on her face. A breeze stirred up around them and Fiora sat back.

"The breeze feels so good."

"Yeah, I'd forgotten what it feels like." Shulk sat back as well, "I never thought it could be so quiet here."

"You're around Reyn too much; you're getting use to all the noise he makes." Fiora laughed. Shulk chuckled along with her.

"Maybe you're right, but Rosa also helps in this case."The girl had to catch herself from showing how displeased she was at the mention of the redhead's name and changed the subject

"Everything is so peaceful; I wish everyday could be like this always." She gazed out over the colony with a hopeful smile on her face. A sudden siren broke through their quite. The two looked up.

"The debris siren. The anti-air batteries can't protect us out here. Let's go back to the lab." Shulk stood and after Fiora packed away the thermos, she followed him. The two started back down to the colony.

The sun was shining brightly over colony 9, not everyone could really appreciate the calm and peace that existed at the moment, now days, it annoyed Novey a little, but she knew that this was how people were.  
A purple haired woman was sitting behind her desk,gathering her things,in order to leave the office. Making sure everything was in place, she nodded to herself,with a smile on her lips.  
Getting up from the chair in her office, Novey decided make her way to her house. It was lunch time and she was a bit hungry after all the work of the day. How could so many people get hurt at daily training was beyond her, but she was always happy to treat whoever was in need.  
 _  
'I wonder if I should ask Dunban to come as well, I am sure that his little sister totally forgot about him and only brought lunch to Shulk'_ The woman thought to herself and decided to head to the military district.  
Once there,she saw that training was still on and decided to visit Rosa and Shulk,at the lab. She hasn't seen them in a few days, even if she was a part of the team,her job was at the hospital.  
Going in she walked down the stairs and knocked on the half open door. When she got a 'come in' she walked in and saw that it was only the younger girl who was there.

"Oh,hey miss Novey"Rosa greeted her with a smile,raising her head to see who had entered the lab

"Hello to you too, Rosa "Novey greeted back"And I've told you a thousand times, it's just Novey"She added,a smirk-smile on her lips,seeing the girl looking over and over her notes,as if looking for something.

"So, what are you doing here?"Rosa asked,still looking through her papers

"I was on my way to see Dunban"Novey answered and leaned against the wall next to the door."But training wasn't over yet, so I thought I would drop by and see how you two were doing"She added

"It's been going great! We've found so many more things, thanks to you!"Rosa said with a wide smile, thankful to the older girl for her help

"It was nothing"Novey dismissed her with a smile of her own"What are you looking for anyway?"She asked, seeing her digging through the room.

"Oh,I can't find one of my most important notes! Dickson had it in his hands when he was here, and now I can't find it!"Rosa complained, slightly frustrated

"Wait, did you say Dickson is here?"Novey asked, surprise on her face

"Um, yep, he came back today"Rosa answered the woman who nodded her head.

"Okay, I have to get..."Novey trailed off,feeling bad she was about to leave the younger alone "Hey Rosa,do you want to join me for lunch? I am going to ask Dunban to come as well"Novey suggested

"I can't I'm looking for that paper"Rosa stated,even if she and Novey both knew it was an excuse.

"Oh,come on, it'll be fun!"Novey insisted and Rosa agreed, knowing that no matter who much she didn't want to admit it, Reyn wouldn't come to join her for lunch, like they had said in the morning.

"Okay"She agreed and Novey jumped a bit,clapping her hand, with a smile on her lips, as her diferent coloured eyes sparkled. One looked like the night sky,filled with stars and the other like the sea when the sun's light reflects upon it.

"Good,come along then, we don't have all day"The woman said and walked out the door and waited for the other to get her stuff, before both left,heading to the training field.

Rosa cast a glance over her shoulder as she strode out of the lab. Even now, a part of her was considering going back to wait for Reyn, but she knew it wouldn't mean anything. The boy never remembered such stuff, she was used to it by now, but it still annoyed her a little. She dung her hands into her pockets and walked besides the older woman, who was speaking no words, just enjoying the comfortable silence.  
Rosa thought back to what the document had contained. It was on the ether that was contained in the Monado. It was much more powerful than any other measured ether. Something about it had struck Rosa as strange and she knew there had to be more to it. The way it could control the user of the Monado had caught both her and Shulk's attention and they had been so close to figuring out why…

"Hey Dunban!" Novey's voice pulled Rosa from her thoughts. She looked up to see Dunban with a group of Defense Force Soldiers, non that she knew. He spoke a few words to them before walking over to Rosa and Novey.

"Hello there," Dunban smiled at Novey but the expression waivered when his eyes landed on Rosa, turning into that of sadness for a mere second.

"Dunban, would you like to come to lunch with us?" Novey naturally smiled at him in return.

"I'd love to."He responded, looking back at the light purple haired woman The three started toward the Commercial District and the debris siren drew their attention. Rosa glanced upwards to see the falling debris get shot by the anti-air batteries.

"Weird…there hasn't been much falling lately."Rosa noted.


	4. Chapter 4: Accident in the lab

**A/N: Okay, this is getting rather bothersome. Come on guys, leave a comment! Only 2 people left a comment, one each! I feel bad for asking this, but it'd be nice to have a review, even a "nice chapter" would be enough!  
** **Anyway... Special thanks to PerfectFlyer, as always, for helping out! Hope you enjoy! :)**

Shulk and Fiora made their way back to the lab, without any further incident. As they stepped inside, however, they found Reyn, who had picked up the Monado.

"Reyn! What are you doing?" Shulk immediately went forward. Reyn turned around in surprise.

"Sh-Shulk!" The beginnings of an explanation were upon his tongue, but the Monado activated before he had a chance to speak. The sword drug him forward and Shulk stepped out of the way. The blue blade of the Monado extended from the red core. The blade swung widely around the lab, pulling Reyn along with it. It easily cut through the machines, causing great damage to the equipment.  
Fiora jumped behind one of the machines in hopes of staying out of the way, however the Monado cleaved the metal in two. The blade struck her in the side and left no mark. Reyn was thrown to the ground and Monado clattered onto the floor. It quivered for a moment before becoming lifeless once more.

"Reyn!" Shulk hissed the boy's name in anger. He bent down and examined the broken machine.

"Goodness…" Fiora looked down at herself in awe, surprised by the fact that she was unharmed. Reyn scrambled to his feet and clutched his numb shoulder. He quickly turned to Fiora and asked.

"Fiora! Are you okay?"She hesitated for a moment before replying.

"I'm fine."

"Ugh! It's broken!" Shulk's irritated voice made Fiora look down at him. The blonde was busy looking over the remains of the equipment Reyn had so carefully destroyed.

"What do you mean, 'it's broken'?" Fiora snapped. Her anger began to grow. "Don't you care about me? I could have died!"

"You're not hurt, are you? The Monado can't cut people." Shulk brushed aside her concerns. "More importantly…" He looked over his shoulder and snapped. "What were you thinking, Reyn?"

"Sorry…" Reyn hung his head. "I came to ask a favor of you and Rosa, but you weren't here…And I saw the Monado and-"

"I know I'm here a lot,and so is Rosa," Shulk interrupted him. "But even we need fresh air sometimes." Those sharp words were all the scolding Reyn needed and Shulk relented. "Is your body still feeling numb?"Reyn looked up in surprise as Shulk stood. "We have to be very careful with the Monado. It's not a toy."

"I know man. I just wanted to touch it. I didn't know it would do that." Reyn offered. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Sorry." Reyn glanced back down at the Monado. The blade still glowed and quivered. "But is it true, the Monado can't really cut people?"

"The symbol in at the middle of the circle. I'm sure it displays what power that Monado has at the moment." Shulk bent down and picked up the blade. He started to carry it back over to the stand.

"You're saying it's a symbol?" Reyn questioned.

"Well…if I can find a way to increase the number of symbols…" Shulk stopped and stared down at the weapon. "I could-"

"I'm sure that's all very clever!" Fiora cut in. Her rage had been boiling through the entire conversation. "But! Why were you more worried about a machine than me, Shulk?"

"Well, I just – I just explained why." Shulk stepped nervously backwards.

"That's not the point!"

"Um, sorry!" Shulk retreated back a few more steps. The Monado bumped against the stand and sudden activated. Sparks of blue electricity danced along the hilt as the blue blade shot out. Shulk gasped and staggered as the power of the weapon overtook him. He gripped the hilt with both hands and bent forward from the strain. His eyes flashed with a glow of blue.  
Different scenes flashed across his mind; a giant, a woman with a rifle, a man who looked like a machine, an old man with glasses, a girl with curly silver hair, an old man with large wings on his head, and the last, the most vivid of all, a faced Mechon with bloody claws.

"Look at you, worthless without the Monado." "Until I've scraped each and every one of you!" "So of course I want to get my revenge!" "Your blade, it did not cut deep enough." "No!"  
Then, he was back in the lab. The Monado deactivated.

"Shulk! You alright?" Reyn reached out towards him. Concern painted over Fiora's previously angry expression.

"I'm fine…" Shulk turned and placed the Monado back onto the stand.

"Reyn, when you had a hold of the Monado, did you see anything?"

"Yeah, a glowing blue light came out of it."

"No, I mean, did the Monado show you anything? It was like a feeling like time had stopped and then…" Shulk frowned and trailed off.

"Time had stopped?" Reyn raised his eyebrows.

"That sounds strange. Is it another Monado thing?" Fiora questioned.

"Who knows?" Reyn shrugged. He sighed. "Anyway, no matter how good a sword it is, if that's what happens when you hold it… Looks like Dunban really is the only one who can use it."

"I won't let my brother use it ever again!" Fiora immediately snapped at Reyn. He recoiled.

"Oh, sorry… I-I didn't mean it like that…"

"Anyway, the point is, I'm fine. To be honest, this has happened a few times before. I've been researching the Monado for a long time." Shulk interjected, getting the conversation back on track.

"Shulk! Don't act as if this is nothing!" Worry still rung through Fiora's voice, despite the boy's words.

"Look, don't worry about it." He turned to Reyn, "Anyway, Reyn, what did you want to ask us about?"

"Ah, yeah." Reyn said as if he suddenly remembered the reason for his visit. "Old Square-tache has gone and put me on punishment duty. Fancy tagging along?"

"Punishment? The colonel was pretty angry today. Did he hit you?"Shulk asked. He eyed Reyn in concern.

"Well, whether he hit me is neither here nor there, really…" Reyn rubbed the back of his head, a motion that suggested that he had been hit there.

"Although, actually he did end up hitting me. And that ain't all. He made me do a thousand squats and sit-ups."

"Whoa, nasty."

"Yeah. And now I have to go all the way to the Mag Mell Ruins and back."

"So you have to go and collect the Ether Cylinders?"

"That's the one! They're used to power the mobile artillery. It looks like the damage's been repaired. But it can't move without the ether energy. And it seems like the fuelling station's all out of stock."Reyn finished.

"Okay, I don't know about Rosaline, butI'll go with you." Shulk immediately agreed.

"Hold on!" Fiora interrupted. "The Mag Mell Ruins are in Tephra Cave, right? I heard there's a Mell Lizard nest there. I couldn't take it if anything happened to Shulk. He's delicate – not like you, Reyn."

"I'm not delicate!" Shulk huffed. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"But…"

"Okay, I got it. I'll make you a promise," Reyn smiled at Fiora."Shulk won't even get a scratch."

"A promise doesn't mean much coming from you!" Fiora snorted and turned on her heels. She stalked out of the lab. Reyn sighed as he watched her leave.

"She don't trust me at all…"

"Nah, that's not the reason she snaps at you and you know it." Shulk said, eyeing him.


	5. Chapter 5: Journey ahead of us

**A/N: The next chapter is here! I'm still really down, seeing that no one commented _again_ but I guess that that's how it is, sometimes.  
This time! The groups meet up and...*dun dun DUN!***

The two boys looked after Fiora, who had left the room and seconds later they heard a frustrated sound, that was coming from her. Shulk gave Reyn a look and the red head shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what was so wrong with the girl outside. A female laugh came after, the voice much deeper then the blond girl's and it was then that the short boy realised just wha-who it was that Fiora saw.

"Come on, let's go."Shulk chuckles and the taller boy nodded and both walked out the door of the lab and up the stairs, to meet with the sight that Shulk had predicted. Sure enough, Fiora was looking, or rather glaring at Rosa, who looked rather pleased with herself. Next to them was Novey, who was laughing lightly and Dunban, who was sighing.  
Shulk opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped from another frustrated sound made by the blond girl who stomped out of the hall, probably leaving the District to head home.

"What in the name of Bionis happened?"Reyn wondered, having not caught up yet

"You know..."Novey trailed off, as she chuckled "The usual fighting between Fiora and Rosa."She added seconds later

"I still don't understand why the two of you fight so much."Shulk said, oblivious to anything related to feelings that was going on between them

"She's always the one who starts it and all of you know it,"Rosa pointed out and glanced at Dunban"No offense."She added and Dunban nodded his head, inwardly admitting that his little sister could be very annoying when she wanted.

"Anyway, what are you boys doing?"Novey questioneded the two, seeing them ready to head out and someone who knew her as well as Dunban did could tell that something was worrying or generally bothering her.

"Reyn asked me to join him in Mag Mell Ruins, he has to get some Ether Cylinders from there."Shulk answered the older woman's question. He always looked up to her and respected her, much like Dunban. She was like a sister to him, but at the same time, some kind of idol, or role model, but not like the war Hero.

"The colonel is sending you, I presume?"Dunban asked, the first words he's said since meeting up with the two boys and Reyn nodded

"Yeah, I'm on 'punishment duty'."He explained to the others

"Oh, Rosa"Shulk spoke up, recalling what had taken place not that long ago "We are going to need to go look for some parts, there was an accident inside the lab."He explained, gaining everyone's attention

"An accident, what happened?"Novey asked immediately, before either of the other two could. Reyn scratched the back of his neck nervously and laughed, making all eyes turn to him

"What did you do, you big idiot?"Rosa sighed, as she placed her hands on her hips

"You see, I was waiting for you and Shulk and I may have touched the Monado, activating it by mistake..."He said and looked at the three nervously, as they glared at him

"Reyn!"Rosa fumed at him "Why would you do that! You know it's not safe!"She scolded the boy, but inside she was concerned about him, knowing that touching the Monado may stain you for a while

"I know, I know."Reyn tried to calm her

"Calm down Rosaline, I'm sure Reyn was scolded enough by Shulk already"Dunban spoke, placing a hand on said girl's shoulder. The honey colour eyed girl closed her mouth and nodded her head lightly, knowing that what the other said was probably true.

"Speaking of, what were you talking about before? About time stopping?"Reyn asked his best friend, who looked up to meet his gaze, before turning to look at the others

"I just got this feeling when I touched it..."Shulk trailed off

"Feeling?"Dunban asked, interested in what the boy had to say

"Like I said, it felt like time had stopped and I saw these...visions?"He finished in a question, not knowing how to explain what he had experienced very well himself.

"It's another one of the Monado's powers."Novey spoke first

"How can you tell?"Rosa asked

"Do you know what makes up most of the life energy on this planet?"The purple haired girl asked them

"Ether, I guess."Shulk answered and Novey nodded her head

"Exactly,the ether can be controlled by the Monado, so it has the power to see that which has yet to happen"The woman explained

"And, I ask again, how do you know that?"Rosa asked again. She respected the woman, yes, but what she was saying right now didn't sound right.

"This"She begun pointing to the gem that rested around her neck "Gives me the ability to use ether. When I was working on the Monado one day, the old chain around it broke and it landed on the layer of glass. The sword reacted to it"She explained

"I remember you told us about this"Shulk agreed with a nod "But you never told us what had happened, you dismissed it as nothing"He added

"Well, it was something. The Monado reacted to the ether in the gem and it, in turn, fed off on the ether the Monado had."Novey explained and everyone looked at her in shock "I haven't had much time to try it out since then, but the ether is now more powerful and it has a short of connection to the Monado"She finished

"Amazing..."Shulk said at the same time with Rosa, as the two stared at the gem, that hung lowly around the girl's neck.

"So, is that how you knew something had happened before?"Dunban asked, referring to something that had happened while they where walking back.

"What?"Shulk wondered, looking between the two of them

"It's nothing"Novey smiled softly and silence fell all over. A few seconds passed like that, before the red head decided to speak up

"I'm sorry to break this up, but if I don't get going soon I'll be in for a-lot more punishment"He said and everyone broke out of their thoughts.

"O-okay Reyn, let's get going"Shulk said, turning at the redhead girl "Are you coming with us?"

"Nah,I'm going to the lab, I've got to see the damage done in there and get the parts to fix it"She said and turned to the others "See ya"

"I'm going back as well, have a good evening"Dunban said after Rosa had closed the doors behind her and took off after Novey gave him a smile

"Hey boys, since I slowed you down, want me to tag along?"Novey offered with a smirk and a wink

"Don't you have a job to go to?"Shulk asked her

"Well, it's not like anyone will fire me, I _am_ my own boss, after all. We won't be THAT long anyway"Novey said back

"Sure, this way we'll be done in a jiff!"Reyn cheered with a smile on his lips and Novey winked at him

"What are we waiting for then, let's go"She told them and the tree left, heading to Tephra Cave.


	6. Chapter 6: Mission Accomplished?

**A/N: Hello guys and welcome to another chapter! This time! Well... where would the fun be in telling you, right ;)  
Anyway, as always, I'd like to thank PerfectFlyer, for being so awesome. Sadly, this is the last chapter that she has been a part of. So enjoy it for the last time, for now at least. I'd like to thank not only Ezekiel-san, but also Xervail for commenting on the last chapter. Yay! Another reader, fianlly! But now that that's done, ENJOY!**

The three followed the long winding path up the hill to the entrance of Tephra Cave. As they approached, they saw a slim figure leaning in the doorway. Novey approached first, Shulk and Reyn at her heels.

"Rosa?" She furrowed her brow in question when she saw her. Rosa looked down from the white clouds in the sky. She stepped out of the shadows and into the sunlight. Three ether cylinder containers rattled together as she held them up.  
"You forgot these in the lab. Honestly, bro, how were you expecting to finish the job?"Rosa rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Thanks, sis," Reyn took the straps from her hand. "I can't believe I forgot 'em."

"I can."Rosa sighed. Shulk chuckled and patted Reyn on the arm.

"Don't worry about it, we have them now, so let's get going." Shulk started into the cave with Reyn at his heels.

"Don't get yourselves killed!"Rosa called after them.

"We'll be fine!" Reyn yelled back. Rosa just shook her head and rested a hand on her hip.

"I'll be there to look after them," Novey reassured the young redhead. "I'll bring them back to the colony, safely. Thanks again for bringing the containers."

"I'm sure you will, Novey"Rosa smiled at her, the started down the path but stopped. "…oh and miss Novey?"

"Yeah?" She hesitated in the doorway of the cave, choosing not to comment on the 'miss' part. Rosa glanced over her shoulder at her.

"Make sure Reyn doesn't do anything _too_ stupid." She joked and continued on her way. Novey laughed and nodded.

"Novey! You coming?" Reyn's voice echoed through the tunnel.

"We're halfway there already!" Shulk teased her as well. Novey hurried forward.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Novey caught up to the two boys and they all walked farther in Tephra Cave. It wasn't even a full minute later, when they encountered some Clap Bunniv and a Willow Bunniv. Wiping out their weapons, the three begun attacking.  
Shulk was using his sword and Reyn was, of course, using his Scrap Driver. The two looked at each other and nodded, knowing that Noveywould follow then in a few seconds. Said girl extended her right hand in front of herself and closed her eyes, muttering to herself, concentrating on the gem around her neck. It shined and when the girl opened her different coloured eyes, in it was a see-through sword made of ether.  
Novey joined the fight and it was soon after over, giving them the chance to move forward. The two boys placed their weapons back, while Novey held on to it, not wanting to waste time next battle to create it again.

"You are getting quicker, if I say so, myself"Shulk commented, making the older girl smile at him

"Well, I don't usually use this ability on the field, so I could have been better, if I had had more practice, but most of my attacks are overpowered for the enemies here"Novey responded "But thanks anyway"She added and winked at the boy

"There ain't anyone better at ether than you Nov"Reyn followed up, knowing fully well just how strong the young woman was.

"There are plenty of people out there who are better at using ether than me, I'm sure"Novey told them, making the red head roll his eyes at how modest she could be, sometimes.

"Looks like we've got some more to deal with"Shulk told them, as they came across some Eater Caterpile

"Let them be, they're asleep"Novey suggested and the two boys agreed, walking around them as quietly as possible.  
They kept moving on, going through other enemies, such as Singing Brogs and Iron Bunnivs, before they reached the Mag Mell Ruins.

"When was the last time you were here, boys?"Novey asked the two

"Not long, old square-tach brings us here to train"Reyn said"But never alone, we're always in groups"He added, answering the un-voiced question of why he hadn't come on his own

"And you know me, I come here a-lot, to do research, most of the time, Rosa is here as well"Shulk said in turn"But I remember the last time the three of us were here"He added. The other two chuckled at the memory and Novey let out a half-fake sigh

"I seriously can never leave you guys go anywhere alone, or you'll end in trouble"She told them

"Oh, come on, how were we s'possed to know the monsters here would use Mechon parts as armour?"Reyn tried to defend himself and his friend

"Oh, I don't know... how about asking someone who's been here before?"Novey asked sarcastically, glaring a bit at the tall boy.

"Anyway, I'll never understand who build this place, or why"Reyn said, changing the subject, for his own good.

"Some think it was left by the Mechon, but I doubt it"Shulk replied

"It could have been a vehicle, but it IS a 'little' big"Novey followed up "But what I really what to know, is the people that made it"She added

"Yeah, I'd like to know as well"Shulk agreed

"Com'on, let's go, the Ether Cylinders are up ahead"Reyn said and both researchers nodded. They kept on and entered the hall, with the closed door to the right.

"The door hasn't been working for a while now, right?"Reyn asked

"That's right, they said they'd fix it soon, but I still wonder..."Shulk trailed off

"No matter, let's go on, I have to get back to work _sometime_ today"Novey told them and walked ahead, payback for before. She begun fighting some Mell Lizards, as the boys caught up, before they all got to it. Mid-battle, as they were focused on the Lizards, a different enemy came from behind Shulk and was about to strike him.

"Shulk!"Both the others yelled at the same time. Reyn raised his Scrap Driver and covered Shulk, in case the monster stroke, but it didn't have the time to, as Novey jumped up toward it "Bloody Cut!"She yelled and slashed the monster at the side, making it pull back. The two boys joined her and soon after, killed the monster

"Thank you both, guys"The blond boy said and Novey only smiled, while Reyn said something along the lines of always watching his back.  
The three then pulled their weapons back and kept walking. They took a left and followed the path, until reaching the Rear Entrance. Exiting the cave and taking a breath of fresh air, the three smiled. The sun had lowered, showing how long they've been in the cave. Novey walked to the edge and opened her arms wide and she closed her eyes, feeling the breeze.

"I love coming up here"She said to no one in particular.

"It has an amazing view"Reyn added

"Well, it better if-"

"No, don't you dare"Reyn warned, interrupting the girl, even if he knew fully well that she was teasing him.

"Hm?"Was the sound Shulk made, meaning he was interested in what Novey was about to say

"Oh, you know him, he doesn't want _anyone_ to know where his secret place is"Novey told to the blond, rolling her eyes

"Oh, you mean that place he goes to every time and we end up searching for him for _hours_?"Shulk asked and Novey nodded her head

"You've not even told me, or Rose, so I guess you really don't want anyone to know"The blond boy said, turning his attention to his best friend

"And trust me pal, I'm not pleased that Nov knows it"Reyn replied, making said girl, once again, roll her eyes

"Shut up, you big baby. Gosh, you really need to find a lady, so she can calm you down"She said, making Shulk chuckle

"We should hurry up"The blond suggested, stopping Reyn from saying whatever he was about to say

"Yeah, let's go"Novey agreed and Reyn nodded his head, before turning his back to the amazing view.


	7. Chapter 7: War is upon us

**A/N: Okay guys! Next chapter is here! This one is a little small, so I apologize for that. On another note, I was thinking of doing a New Year special, but as of right now, a lot characters and/or pairings haven't been revealed and I don't want to spoil anything. So, what do you guys think? Should i do a Special with just the characters we have up to now? Do one with everyone? Or do nothing? As usually, enjoy!**

Rosa groaned in exasperation when she saw the state the lab was in. She ran a hand through her hair and stared at the mess Reyn had made. She'd have to continue this search for the missing document later, for now she'd have to busy herself with fixing the lab.

She bent down and gazed at the machine that had been sliced in two. Thoughtfully, she glanced back at the red weapon. She got up, placed the part on her desk and walked over to it. Her hand trailed across the smooth surface of the metal. Suddenly the faintest of glows came from the sword and the girl felt as if it was calling out to her to pick it up. She shook her head rapidly and took a step back, before turning away from the sword and back to the task at hand. Mere moments passed and the silence was cut by the piercing sound of the alarm, signaling danger. Her eyes hardened and her hands reached for the two blades that rested on either sides of her hips

"Mechon…"Rosa muttered. "But how? Why here and why now?" Honey eyes shot back to the Monado. Was that the reason she felt the desire to take hold of the Monado? They were natural enemies. Maybe it _had_ been a warning. Rosa heard the Defense Force rushing to assemble and she recalled the words of Shulk, who had said they'd be dead before reaching the battlefield.

 _'Did you_ _ **really**_ _have to jinx us so?'_ She asked herself. The sounds of the anti-air batteries echoed through the was about to head out, but something held her back. She turned and gave the Monado a look, before walking over to it, picking it up. Sure, they had activated it before some times, but never to fight, she wasn't its wielder, after all.

"But I know who is"She muttered to herself and raced out of the lad and to the Commercial District. Halfway there, a certain dark haired man ran into her, surely heading to where she'd come from

"Rosaline!" Dunban stopped in front of her in surprise.

"You'll be needing this, no?"Rosa held the Monado out to him. She looked Dunban up and down, noticing that he was in his old Defense Force uniform.

"Thank you. I was just coming to get it." Dunban lifted the two-handed sword with ease. The blue blade burst to life from his left-handed grip.

"These Mechon won't know what hit them."

"I'll be right behind you."Rosa stated, pulling out her blades, placing them together to form the double bladed sword she'd used earlier that day. The effect of Monado Enchant settled across her and she felt a sudden surge of power and said in a serious tone "Lead the way General."

It was crazy. One moment everything was so calming and peaceful and the next Mechon are everywhere. Attacking and killing and destroying. Novey with the two boys rushed back as soon as possible, knowing that the Colony would need all the help it could get. Novey felt a sudden rush through her body and froze, if for only a moment, making the boys look back at her in worry.  
"What's wrong, Novey?"Shulk asked her, seeing the look of wonder and surprise in her two shaded eyes

"I...don't know"She answered. She hated not knowing what was going on! "But I think it has to do with the Monado"She added, sensing that the feeling was coming from her necklace.

"The Monado?"Reyn asked, unsure if he had heard right, or Novey was even correct with her suspicion.

"I think that...oh no!"She yelled lightly and begun running again, faster than before, not saying another word.  
The two boys followed behind her, not knowing what else to do, until they reached the gate. The sight before them, was one of horror for the two boys, who haven't faced against them before.

"They're eating people"Shulk said, socked and disgusted, as he shock his head, as if trying to clear the image from his head

"It's disgusting!"Reyn yelled, anger getting the better of him. He was never good at managing it, no matter how many times he tried.

"Is Dunban okay?"Shulk wondered, seeing the house of said man in front of him. The lights were on, but there was no guarantee than anyone was inside.

"Questions later, now we fight"Novey told them, glaring at the Mechon that appeared in front of them.

"Let's do this!"Reyn yelled and took his Scrap Driver, ready to go, followed by Shulk's "Let's do this!"When he had his sword in hand.

"Shulk, Reyn! Mechon can not be hurt by normal weapons unless they're toppled! Only ether can hurt them, even by little!"She warned the both of them

"Let's topple it then!"Reyn yelled and turned to Shulk "Go for it buddy!"He called out to him, knowing that break was supposed to be used first.  
Novey took it's attention and attacked while waiting for Shulk and Reyn. After it was toppled, the purple haired girl smirked and brought her hands up.

"Barricade!"She yelled and created a barrier about it, making sure to keep it in place for a while longer.

"See? It didn't stand a chance!"Reyn celebrated and Novey smacked him lightly on the head for being an idiot

"We just disabled it for now, you idiot, it isn't dead!"She told him and turned to Shulk"We have to see if anyone is inside the house!"She told him. As if on cue, Fiora ran out of the house and up to them

"Shulk!"She yelled, as she saw him with the other two. She immediately pulled him in a hug, if only for a second.

"Fiora, are you okay? Where is Dunban?"Novey asked, hoping that she was wrong about her suspicion.

"He's not here! I don't know where he is!"The blond haired girl said to them, scared about her brother's safety.

"He ain't fit enough to even face these things!"Reyn yelled, also worried about the war Hero. He turned his head to the other two and asked "What now?"

"We've got to get to the lab!"Shulk said"If the Mechon are here, there's only one thing that they want, the one thing that can stop them!"He explained

"Right, the Monado!"Reyn said and the blond boy nodded his head "And if they are going there, Rosa will be all alone!"Shulk added, worried about his friend's safety

"Fiora, come along"Novey said, looking at the girl, before turning to the two boys "Let's go guys!"She told them and begun running again, the others following behind her, as they made their way to the lab.

 **A/N: And that's that for now! Please leave a review so I know what you like and what not, I like improving!**


	8. AN

Heeheehee... Hello, guys! How have you been? I haven't been gone for that long now, have I?

...

...

..

.

Okay, yeah, I know I haven't been around in **months** and I'm really sorry for that! Life just got the better of me and... when I _**finally**_ decided I needed to write/fix/post something, I logged in and went to my Doc Manager... only to find that everything was gone, yup **every. single. one** of my under-construction stories and chapters had disappeared. So, lesson learned! Never leave ff for more than 90 days, or all your stuff will be gone.

I had completely forgotten about that and, well, I didn't have any of them saved elsewhere, so I honestly just gave up. I was really mad and couldn't focus to write a single line, so I said to myself that I'll be back when I can actually _work_ on something and not just waist hour after hour trying to write something that I'm going to end up hating.

And that time has come. Yesterday, late at night, I got some inspiration in me and decided I need to start up again. So, hopefully, I'll have a chapter or even a new one-shot out in not long. I apologize for the long wait and I hope to see you in the next chapter!

Until then, peace out!


	9. Chapter 8: Gone

The colony had turned into maze of destruction-like everything is out of place, one couldn't tell where to go, to run and hide! The only sounder were the cries of pain and horror. The air smelled of smoke, dust, oil, blood and death, chaos had enveloped all around.

Dunban and Rosa were making their way from the Military District, wanting to get to the other side of the colony as fast as possible! They both kept their attention on the battle, never wavering. The war hero had to admit for someone so young, who has never been to a war before, Rosa was handling herself rather well.

"Dunban!"Her voice cut through the noise of chaos and a mere second later, the Mechon behind said man, was down, inflicted with break. Dunban turned around and cut the spider-like Mechon in two.

"We have to hurry, we can not waste any more time here!"Dunban remarked and the red head gave a nod, before following him out of the District and to the Central Plaza. A yell was heard through the air and both knew just who it belonged to

"Shulk!"Rosa yelled, attacking the mechanical creature in front of her with all her might, destroying it. Dunban cut one of the bigger ones down and cleared their vision enough, to see Shulk and the others . It looked like they were having a hard time, but thankfully Novey was with them.

Dunban's own battle cry mixed with that of the others as he charged at the Mechon around the three, killing every one that was too close for comfort, with Rosa running behind him.

"Dunban!"All three yelled together, more than relieved to see him. That was until Novey realized exactly what it was he was holding and her expression turned into a heated glare

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Dunban?!"She thundered, using all of her willpower to stop herself from slapping him"You shouldn't be using the Monado!"

"You should know by now that I never like following the rules"The war Hero smirked at her,ignoring the look she was giving him"Where is Fiora, have you seen her?"He asked, worried.

"She's at the Residential District"Novey responded"We said we'd meet her there"

"But I don't think we can go through there"Reyn said, pointing at the boulder that was blocking the road ahead

"Then we go from the Commercial District"Dunban stated and everyone nodded their heads, before taking off.

The more time passed, the worst was Dunban's condition getting, it was obvious to everyone and even more to Novey. Just as they reached the Main Entrance, Dunban's knees finally gave in and he fell, the Monado falling to the ground and out of his reach.

"You can't go on like this, Dunban!"Reyn spoke, finally agreeing with Novey's previous words

"But, I must!"He replied, even as strength was leaving his body by the second.

"No, Dunban!"Novey snapped"You can not take any more of the Monado!"And even as the effect of her Purifying Soul fell upon him, he still felt weak.

"I don't have a choice!"Dunban yelled"We need the Monado's power!"

"The other's are right, Dunban"Shulk cut in, his voice steady and strong. Dunban only said the blond boy's name in response, not knowing what else to say.

Another moment passed and these words that Dunban had said to him one year before played in his head again. He glared at the Mechon ahead and ran for the Monado, taking it in his hand, as Dunban yelled for him to stop, while the siblings were too surprised to do or say anything. The Monado shined for a moment and no one but the double eye-coloured woman noticed. Novey felt the gem around her neck react to the crimson blade and knew that there was something different to it from before, when Dunban was using it. The rest of the group watched in shock as Shulk dodged an attack from the Mechon and struck, killing it instantly.

"You never listen to any of us, so why should he?"Novey questioned the dark haired man, who turned to her in shock

"What are you saying Novey?! The Monado will kill him!"He shouted at her.

"Do you see him in any pain?"She asked the man, smirking"He's controlling it just fine, the Ether in the Monado feels... different now, it will not harm him"She explained.

Any other words the rest wanted to say were stopped, as more and more Mechon arrived. Dunban got up and everyone hurried to Shulk's side

"Shulk, are you feeling alright?"Rosa asked the boy, who turned at her and nodded his head reassuring her, for now

"Are you in any pain?"Dunban asked, still in disbelieve that the Monado wasn't causing him any stain.

"No"He told the man"But something strange happened, it was as if... I could see into the future!"He pointed out and the two males looked at him in surprise, while Rosa and Novey glanced at each other.

"Is it one of the Monado's powers?"Dunban wondered, eyes landing on the crimson blade with question.

"What are ya sayin' Shulk?"Reyn spoke in"See into the future?"He asked in disbelieve, making Rosa glare at him

"What do you know about the Monado anyway?"She snapped at him and then turned to the blond "Are you sure, Shulk?"She asked him

"I-I don't know... I think so"The boy stuttered. It was clear that he was just as confused as everyone else. Shulk took a deep breathe, attempting to calm down, before speaking up again "I know what I saw"He stated strongly, unlike before

"I see.."Dunban trailed off

"We knew the Monado had some hidden powers, this could be one of them"Rosa pointed out and Shulk nodded his head at her. An incoming Mechon cut their conversation short and this made the older ones realize something

"We'll talk about this more later!"Novey yelled at everyone, as she fired at one of the Mechon

"Novey is right!"Dunban agreed with her"Let's focus on the fight for now!"He added and ran up to a different Mechon, attacking it, as Monado Enchant's power fell upon him.

Everyone fought their hardest and finally managed to get through the army of the mechanical creatures, reaching the residential district. Upon getting there, a huge Mechon landed in front of them

"It's huuuge"Reyn commented, seeing just how tall it was

"That Mechon...It has a face!?"Dunban said in disbelieve. Novey glared at it, feeling something was different about it

"That doesn't matter, not when we have the Monado!"Shulk said and immediately jumped into the fight. The others followed, but Novey stayed behind, looking at the Mechon intensely, but in a few seconds, something became clear.

"What's going on?"Shulk asked surprised"The Monado isn't doing anything!"He yelled, shock written all over his face.

"Wha? What do ya mean?"Reyn asked, oblivious to the fact.

"How is that possible? The Monado should be able to cut through each and every Mechon!"Dunban exclaimed

"But this is no ordinary Mechon"Novey said, gaining everyone's attention.

"What is that supposed to mean?"Rosa asked the older woman

"Maybe you can't see it, but I can, that Mechon doesn't just have ether running through it"The lilac haired woman explained

"Could it be...that light?"Shulk asked, seeing the red that ran all over the gigantic Mechon. It glared at them and hit them with its claws, pushing them on the ground.

"What do we do now?"Reyn asked the others panting and Novey walked up in front of everyone else, fire in her eyes

"The Monado may not work, but ether can still harm them!"She yelled and the gem around her nick shined, as ether gathered around her "Abyssal Rage!"She yelled and the ether mixed with the wind and cut at the Mechon multiple times.

"Alright!"Reyn cheers, as he saw the Mechon fall on one knee. Just them, it was shot from behind and everyone turned and saw Fiora into the Artillery

"Everyone, get away now!"She yelled as she rushed up to it. Shulk's eyes and Novey's ether healed eye shined as a vision appeared in their heads. It showed the Faced Mechon attacking Fiora and killing her.

"What...what was that?"Shulk asked himself. Novey turned her eyes on him and they locked with the blonde's, letting him know that, somehow, she had seen it too.

"Fiora! Get away!"Shulk yelled at her. Dunban and the others turned to him, but Novey's eyes narrowed and hardened.

"I won't stand by and let you destroy our home! We'll save Colony 9!"Fiora yelled and fired at the Mechon again. Ether covered Novey's hands, but it was invisible to the naked eye, as she rush forward.

"Novey!"Everyone yelled after her, but she ignored them. Fiora fired at the Mechone one more time, sending it flying off, but was knocked back in the process and a cloud of dust raise, covering everything. The Faced Mechon walked out of it and towards the blond girl.

"How?"She asked in shock. The Faced Mechon looked at her intensely and picked up the Artillery, throwing it against the wall, as she yelled in pain and shock.

"Fiora!"Shulk yelled again, unable to move as he saw the vision come true. The Mechon raised its claws again, ready to strike the green eyed girl, who trembled in fear

"Oh, no you don't!"Novey yelled, coming out of the fading cloud "Mystic Guard!"She yelled and an ether shield surrounded Fiora, making the claws bounce off of it, not harming the girl. The Mechon turned around to face the older woman, but shifted its focus to the rest of the group, as they all got up and rushed to it.

Everyone begun attacking it, as Novey ran over to Fiora, unnoticed by the Mechon.

"Are you alright, Fiora?"She asked, as she helped the girl get out of the Artillery and to the ground

"I... think so, thank you, Novey"She said to the older woman, who smiled at her

"It was nothing"She told her and turned to the fight for a second, before back to the girl "Are you well enough to fight?"She asked and Fiora gave her a slow nod, as she pulled out her knifes. The two joined the fight, just as the Mechon had gotten toppled, allowing everyone to damage it properly.  
Everyone was giving it their all, but they were getting tired quickly.

"We can't go on like this!"Reyn told everyone, breathing heavily

"Don't give up Reyn, we can do this!"Dunban told him, despite being very tired himself. Out of everyone, Fiora was the most tired, having gotten hurt before, but she wasn't about to go down. An attack from the Mechon sent her flying, landing next to Reyn and Rosa

"Are you okay?"The two asked together, proving that they were siblings,even if they were very different.

"Yeah"Fiora said back, getting to her feet, but falling again. Reyn had rushed to Shulk's side, being the eyes on the back of his head, like he'd promised time and time again, leaving the two girls alone. Rosa helped the blond girl get up, getting a look of surprise by her

"Why are you..."She trailed off

"Hey, we don't like each other much, but that is no reason to let you die"The red head said and pulled the other girl to her feet, making sure she was okay this time around."Take a minute to catch your breath okay?"

"Thanks"Fiora told her with a nod and Rosa smiled at her, before rushing back to the battle. Sadly, the Faced Mechon saw the blond girl to the side and turned her attention to her. Another vision flashed in Shulk's head and when it finished, he turned to Novey to see that she wasn't aware of it

 _'Why didn't she see this one?'_ He asked himself, but put the question aside and turned to his best friend "Reyn, go over to Rosa, I'm fine"He told him and the taller boy agreed, knowing that there had to be a reason behind his request.

Even so, the blond had not judged his vision correctly, and there was nothing that would stop it from coming true. The Faced Mechon charged an attack, but just as it was about to strike, it turned its attention and ran to the blond girl, who hadn't noticed anything.

"Fiora!"Yelled everyone, but it was too late. Her green eyes got wide for a moment, before closing, as she waited for the strike to come. A pain-filled gasp was heard and when Fiora didn't feel any pain, she opened her eyes and looked at shock the person in front of her. Silence fell all over as everyone watched in absolute shock the scene before them.

"...R-Rosa"Firoa whispered in a trembling voice, as tears begun falling from her eyes. The Mechon raised its claw and threw the body of the girl over to the other smaller Mechon, who hovered over her.

"N-no"Reyn chocked at his words, as he fell to his knees, tears running down his face.

"Rosa..."Shulk whispered her name and turned to the Mechon with pure hate in his eyes

"I'll kill you!"He screamed on top of his lungs, but as he approached it, it turned away from him and changed forms, before flying away.

"Get back here!"Novey screamed, but Dunban grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. She turned at him and he shook his head, a tear threatening to fall from his eyes. She turned to him and he pulled her in, trying to comfort her,knowing just how close they were. Novey shut her eyes tightly, hoping this was all just a bad dream, but the sobs coming from Reyn, kept telling her otherwise.

Rosa... was really gone.


	10. Chapter 9: New journey ahead

The Colony was left in ruins, after the attack from the Mechon and the people immediately set on rebuilding their broken town, as well as their broken spirit. A lot of people had died, friends and loved ones, that would never come back. The loss was great, and yet the people found strength in one another. That was the gift of humanity, support and comfort.  
One would barely be able to tell there had been an attack, from afar. It was so peaceful, looked like nothing more than a big earthquake that had damaged the Colony and the people were slowly, but surely, rebuilding it.

Up on Outlook Park, Shulk looked down on the town, the sun slowly setting over it, making it glow a bright orange.  
'Her favorite.'He thought to himself, a sad smile forming on his lips, as his mind kept trailing off to a certain red-head girl. Lost in his thoughts as he was, Shulk failed to notice someone approach, until they spoke up, slightly startling him.  
"Hello there."Dunban greeted the blond half-heartedly, standing next to him in, gazing over the Colony.  
"Dunban..."The boy trailed off, not really knowing what to say, his eyes shifting from the man, to the Colony.  
"Have you visited Reyn yet?"The war hero asked, deciding it was best to start a conversation first  
"I did, I don't know how much help I was, though."Shulk replied, shaking his head at the memory. "How's Fiora?"He asked back, knowing that the girl was in bad shape, last he'd checked  
"She refuses to leave her room and won't let me inside, Rosaline's sacrifice really shocked her."Dunban answered and Shulk slowly nodded his head, the two were never on good terms, after all, they just didn't get along.  
"It's really hard on all of us."The blond spoke softly, closing his eyes for a few seconds, trying to keep himself composed "Have you seen Reyn?"He asked and Dunban shook his head.  
"I would go, but there is not much I could do for him, as a brother, I can only imagine what it is like, loosing your sister. He is with Novey, however, so I know he is in good hands"He explained, knowing very well that the medic had been the closest thing to a family Reyn had left.  
"She has been there for both of them, for as long as she has been around, they would have been much more different without her. Novey is probably the only one who can help Reyn to his feet."Shulk agreed with the older man.  
"Did someone mention our name?"A voice called out from behind the two, startling them slightly. Hearing the all too familiar voice, the two turned around and saw Novey and Reyn walk up to them, the boy looking rather tired.  
"Reyn!"Shulk called out his best friend's name, walking over to him. "How are you feeling?"He asked the taller, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
"I'm better, Nov beat some sense into me"The redhead answered in a joking manner and inwardly Shulk let out a sigh of relief, glad to see his friend beck to himself.  
"And trust me, it was not an easy thing to do, he already is a blockhead"Novey teased the boy, bringing a smile or small laugh to everyone's lips. A silence fell over them, that was neither comfortable, or awkward, as no one knew exactly where to take it from here.  
"So, what now?"Shulk asked, mostly referring to the red head boy next to him.  
"I donno, ya got any bright ideas?"Reyn asked the blond back, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "You are the brain after all."He added.  
"I..."Shulk begun hesitantly "I want to go after him, that faced Mechon."He blurted out, getting every ones eyes on him  
"Then we're on the same page, buddy."The red head stated, putting his hands on the smaller's shoulders  
"But boys-"  
"Don't worry Dunban, I'll be going with them."Novey interrupted the was hero, a gentle smile on her lips  
"Come on Dunban! And I thought Shulk would give me a hard time for this."Reyn told the older man, a smile on his lips  
"Very well, just be careful, and take care of one another."Dunban gave in, knowing that if he had been at Reyn's place and age, he would have done the same, if not just rushed off straight after the battle.  
"We should probably tell Fiora as well"Shulk pointed out, knowing that the other blond would want to know.  
"No need for that."Came yet another voice and the group turned their gaze to the stairs, from where Fiora approached. "I thought I'd find you all here"She added, ignoring the surprised calling of her name by her brother. She was, after all, not looking all too well. Her eyes were slightly red, probably from crying, her hair was a bit messy, though it wasn't that easy to tell and she had small dark circles forming under her eyes.  
"So, are you gonna come along?"Reyn asked the girl, excitement building up in him.  
"No."She replied, shaking her head, surprising everyone else, a "What?" slipping from their lips, that made the girl giggle.  
"Don't take this the wrong way, I'd love to join you three, it just doesn't feel like that is what I have to do."She explained to them  
"And what do ya have to do?"Reyn asked, crossing his arms.  
"I'll take over the lab."She stated, surprising everyone yet again. "With you and her gone, they will need some help, if there is anything for me to do, that's trying to keep everything she's been working on alive... And if we figure something out, it might help you unleash the Monado's power further"She explained, her expression changing from sadness, to determination.  
"Are you sure?"Shulk was the first to ask her and Fiora nodded her head  
"Very well then, boys, get packing, we are leaving first thing in the morning!"Novey spoke up, the commander in her taking over "Try and get as much sleep as you can tonight, you are going to need it. This journey is going to be a long and rough one."She added and the eyes of the two boys hardened, as they nodded their heads in agreement.

The group left Outlook park and headed their respective ways, they all needed some much needed rest, as their adventure was just now beginning. 


End file.
